The newest wedding might have been the best one yet!! Our family has had two weddings within six weeks. That is a huge burden on a family. But my daughter Helen and her wonderful husband, David, were up to the task. Both of them are remarkably unflappable. If they feel anxiety, it is well hidden from me. Grace’s wedding was special to me because I have always known she was one of those people who (like me) wanted to be…
What a year it has been! I am so happy living here in Charlottesville, VA. My children say it is my “reward.” It is, in some ways, the best time of my life. Isn’t it strange how that works out? I will be 82 in January, and that number shocks me. I once thought that was old. And, of course, it is ancient to my grandchildren. Even my own children worry about me in a way they never appeared to…
So much has happened in the last few days…Why do “they” want to push us toward war? Our government is shoving us all into the jaws of war. Is it so they can keep their power? Now that we have started making political arrests, “the powers that be” need to stay in power forever. They know that if they are unseated, they themselves may be indicted. The rules of the game are changing. It is inconceivable to me, and yet,…
It is unbelievable how easily one adjusts to living in City conditions. When I moved to Washington, DC, to care for my mother, I got used to it quickly. Yet when I moved out to the country near a much smaller city, Charlottesville, I began to change. I don’t crave the city vibe. I do not care for the traffic or the tension of looking for parking and then paying for it. Locking everything up and looking over your shoulder…
My plants are thirsty. Sometimes it seems they are asking for water by some subliminal method. I feel their thirst and their desire to have me provide water. I supply them readily, soaking the orchids in water and letting them drain for several hours in the sink. None of that “icecube melting” for my orchids, no indeed. The slanting morning sun glints off of several, silver champaign coolers which hold multiple orchids, dyed pastel colors. Slightly sheer but, opaque enough…
It is hard to believe that people are still falling for it. But the other day I went to a consignment store that has wonderful things. I noticed a sign on the door saying, “Masks encouraged.” Sure enough, when I went up to the desk, I saw that all three women working there were wearing pointy white paper masks. Of course, they do nothing to protect the wearer from this virus. I guess it is some psychological “fix.” Do they…
His father used to say this after spending time alone with Murdoch. My son Murdoch is good company. Not rambunctious or argumentative, not boring or scary, not noisy, rude or disruptive, just fun to be around; he is active and athletic, but peaceful and intelligent. The fifth of our children and the last, as it turned out, we may have spoiled him at times. But other times he raised himself. We were busy, and he was so unobtrusive we did…
Fifty Years Ago, I had a Baby!! I was thirty, and we decided to have another baby. We already had three lovely children. But many of our friends were just getting married. It just looked like so much fun to add to the family. After all, Charley’s family had two sets of children separated by seven years. And we started so young with the first ‘set .’We were twenty when our first one was born, and I was still twenty-two…
Being given the privilege of living in a place that gives you energy and good vibes every day is the best. Houses have personalities, and property exudes atmosphere and vibrations we may not always recognize. We just get a sense of a place. It can be intense. The property where I live now is wonderful. The rolling hills of Virginia are personified right here. It starts as you enter the driveway shared by a couple of other houses, that goes…
Christmas this year was one of the best ever. Our family is large and several members have birthdays in December. There is even one on the 23rd and one on Christmas Eve. These family members have parties in addition to the Christmas parties already scheduled by friends and families. None of the parties were canceled. And they were all a lot of fun. The weather was mild, and we were often outside for hiking and eating. At one birthday, the…
Is this the straw that broke the camels back? Back a few summers ago, I narrowly missed attending a rally in Charlottesville to protest the planned removal of the Statue of Robert E Lee from Lee Park. I felt so strongly about this that I wanted to go downtown and protest. It would be fun to join with other people like myself who were upset by the idea of dislodging General Lee. As President Trump said, there were a lot…
First, they tell you it is coming. The news shows, the weather app on my phone, and people where ever you go talk about a coming storm. Sometimes I think people do not have enough to do with their time. Focusing on a coming storm, especially a blizzard, seems to energize them. People love an impending disaster, especially if it is a little to the north of them. But there is the “possibility” that it might arrive right here. That…
meditation on laying in a hammock
Musing about the fact that as I get older I have more to remember than ever before. My memory is better than I thought.
Rural tranquillity = A Peaceful Brain
country living is peaceful City living is very stressful.
